[RYAN ROBERTSON]
HELLO AND WELCOME TO WEAPONS AND WARFARE. FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M YOUR HOST, RYAN ROBERTSON. JUST AHEAD ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.
BERETTA IS AIMING TO EQUIP THE BRITISH ARMY WITH THEIR NEXT CLOSE COMBAT RIFLE BY COMBINING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY WITH TRADITIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP. IN OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK, WE DISCOVER SOME OF THE INNOVATIVE FEATURES AND THOUGHTS BEHIND THE EFFORT.
AND WE CHECK IN WITH A RECENT WEAPON OF THE WEEK IN OUR COMMS CHECK SEGMENT, AS BLACKSEA TECHNOLOGIES’ GARC IS PUT THROUGH THE PACES IN THE BALTIC SEA.
BUT WE START WITH OUR DEBRIEF AND A GROWING SENSE OF URGENCY SURROUNDING SHIPBUILDING. IT’S A TOPIC WE’VE COVERED FREQUENTLY HERE ON WEAPONS AND WARFARE. AND IT’S SOMETHING THAT SITS HIGH ON A LONG LIST OF PRIORITIES FOR SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, JOHN PHELAN. AND EVEN THOUGH HE’S ONLY BEEN ON THE JOB FOR A FEW MONTHS, HE MADE A POINT OF IT DURING HIS RECENT TESTIMONY IN FRONT OF THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE.
[John Phelan, Sec. of the Navy]
“What I’ve learned is this; We are still the dominant Naval power, but our adversaries are closing the gap at a concerning, accelerating rate. We need to make important cultural and strategic changes in order to maintain our competitive advantage.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
IN PLAIN TERMS, AMERICA IS FACING UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND FOR NEW WARSHIPS. SO HOW DO WE GET THERE? TO START ANSWERING THAT QUESTION I VISITED WITH BENJAMIN PLUM, AN ASSOCIATE PARTNER AT MCKINSEY AND COMPANY, A GLOBAL MANAGEMENT CONSULTING FIRM THAT’S WORKING TO HELP THE U.S. FIND A PATH FORWARD.
[Benjamin Plum, Associate Partner, Mckinsey & Company]
“Meeting this surge in demand is truly a daunting challenge. It is going to require us focusing on an aging infrastructure right, and rehabilitating that infrastructure. It’s going to focus largely on attracting talent and retaining that talent, getting people excited about becoming shipbuilders, and it’s going to require bringing new technology to bear on the business of shipbuilding in a way that, frankly, has never been done. ”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY ‘MARINE INSIGHT’, IN THE U.S., THERE ARE 154 PRIVATE SHIPYARDS SCATTERED ACROSS 29 STATES AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS. OF THOSE 154, ONLY TEN ARE BIG ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE THE SIZE AND SCALE OF AMERICA’S MILITARY SHIPBUILDING AMBITIONS.
THE GOOD NEWS, ACCORDING TO PLUM, IS THE U.S. HAS THE FACILITIES NEEDED. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF THEM HAVEN’T BEEN UPDATED SINCE THE END OF WORLD WAR II.
[Benjamin Plum, Associate Partner, Mckinsey & Company]
“That means bringing new equipment. It means revitalizing the facilities. In some cases, it means just bringing workers undercover so that they’re capable of working out of the elements and doing so efficiently. So yard modernization is core to our challenge. ”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
OF COURSE THAT TAKES MONEY. SOMETHING SENATOR ROGER WICKER, THE CHAIR OF THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE, RECENTLY POINTED TO WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PROPOSED TRILLION DOLLAR BUDGET FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
[Sen. Roger Wicker, (R) Mississippi]
“I must say I am deeply disappointed when it comes to the 2026 budget when it comes to the Navy. In particular, I’m disappointed about the shipbuilding account. Which plummeted to 20.8 billion dollars, down from 37 billion dollars.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
THAT DIFFERENCE IS NOT A SMALL MATTER. ACCORDING TO A REPORT IN ’ FOREIGN AFFAIRS’, CHINA’S SHIPBUILDING, OUTPACES THE REST OF THE WORLD BY A LARGE MARGIN; EACH YEAR, LAUNCHING MORE TONNAGE THAN ALL OTHER COUNTRIES COMBINED. IN FACT, THE U.S. OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE SAYS CHINA’S SHIPBUILDING CAPACITY IS MORE THAN 200 TIMES THAT OF THE UNITED STATES.
[Benjamin Plum, Associate Partner, Mckinsey & Company]
“One of the primary issues that we have in the United States right now is that our maritime infrastructure was built, in some cases, very seriously for the surge in production that accompanied World War Two. Much of that infrastructure has survived. Much of it is still serviceable, but it has not seen the same level of investment that Asian yards or that have seen right in recent decades. And as a result, it is urgently necessary for us to invest in those yards”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
ANOTHER AREA OF CONCERN PLUM POINTS TO IS THE WORKFORCE. WHILE THE INDUSTRY MAY BE HIRING, QUALIFIED PEOPLE AREN’T LINING UP FOR THE JOBS.
ACCORDING TO SOME ESTIMATES, THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY HAS ANYWHERE FROM 140,000 TO 179,000 UNFILLED JOBS.
[Benjamin Plum, Associate Partner, Mckinsey & Company]
“We have to attract and retain new talent in shipbuilding. Our firm has written quite a bit about the aging out of the workforce. This means that we have failed to attract new talent to the profession of shipbuilding. That there are many reasons that that’s happened, but I would broadly say that a lack of focus on and a lack of veneration of shipbuilders over the last 30 or 40 years has contributed to that problem.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
ASK ANYONE INVOLVED IN THE SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY AND THEY’LL TELL YOU THERE IS NO EASY WAY FORWARD, BUT THERE IS A PATH; ONE THAT COULD HELP THE U.S. GET BACK TO WHERE PROPONENTS SAY IT SHOULD BE.
[Benjamin Plum, Associate Partner, Mckinsey & Company]
“What I think is encouraging is we are seeing shipbuilders begin to adopt cutting edge technology, and we’re seeing their core customers really push them to do that. So that means we’re looking at automated welding in a way that’s never been deployed in shipbuilding. It means relying on technologies like digital twins to better understand the production environment and to better understand the product itself. And finally, we’re looking or not finally, but another exciting area of technology. You know, digital scheduling, right? Shipyards in the past used to rely on incredibly manual processes to schedule. Now we’re looking at generative AI applications that can really reschedule production in real time in a way that increases throughput and transparency into production performance.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
THAT WOULD BE A MAJOR PIECE OF THE PUZZLE, BECAUSE FOR ALL OF THE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS, THE DOD’S BIGGEST OBSTACLE MIGHT JUST BE TIME. AS SECRETARY PHELAN RECENTLY TOLD THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE, THE NAVY’S TOP PROGRAM IS SIX MONTHS BEHIND SCHEDULE AND EXCEEDING THE BUDGET BY 50%. DESPITE THAT, PHELAN ALSO SAID HE NOW HAS A GOOD GRASP OF THE NAVY’S CHALLENGES AND IS WORKING ON A PLAN TO “FIX WHAT’S BROKEN”, RECENTLY VISITING THREE FOREIGN SHIPYARDS AND SEVEN DOMESTIC ONES TO SEE HOW THINGS COULD BE DONE MORE EFFICIENTLY.
OKAY, FOLKS, LET’S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A LOOK AT SOME HEADLINES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED.
NEARLY 1 MILLION RUSSIAN SOLDIERS DEAD OR INJURED SINCE THE START OF VLADIMIR PUTIN’S ILLEGAL INVASION OF UKRAINE. THAT’S THE FINDING IN A RECENT STUDY FROM THE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES.
OF THE ESTIMATED 950,000 RUSSIAN CASUALTIES, ABOUT 250,000 ARE BELIEVED TO BE DEATHS, MARKING A HIGHER FATALITY RATE THAN ANY SOVIET OR RUSSIAN CONFLICT SINCE WORLD WAR II. SINCE RUSSIA’S UNPROVOKED ASSAULT BEGAN, UKRAINE HAS SUSTAINED NEARLY 400,000 CASUALTIES, WITH SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 60,000 AND 100,000 DEATHS.
WHILE UKRAINE DOESN’T RELEASE CASUALTY NUMBERS, AND MOSCOW LIKELY UNDERREPORTS ITS OWN, THE REPORT’S ESTIMATES ARE CONSISTENT WITH BRITISH AND U.S. INTELLIGENCE. THE BRITISH DEFENSE MINISTRY ESTIMATES RUSSIA LOSES ABOUT 1,000 SOLDIERS TO DEATH OR INJURY EVERY DAY. IF THIS TREND CONTINUES, RUSSIA WILL LIKELY EXCEED 1 MILLION CASUALTIES SOMETIME THIS SUMMER.
AUSTRALIA’S DEFENSE MINISTER RICHARD MARLES RECENTLY EXPRESSED HIS CONFIDENCE THE AUKUS SUBMARINE AGREEMENT WITH THE U.S. AND BRITAIN IS MOVING FORWARD SMOOTHLY. HE MENTIONED DESPITE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CONDUCTING A FORMAL REVIEW OF AUKUS, AUSTRALIA WOULD MAINTAIN A CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S.
[Richard Marles, Dep. PM of Australia & Minister for Defense]
“This is a multi-decade program where government’s in fact are going to come and go, and when new government’s come into place I think you will see them undertake reviews of this kind and that’s fine. We will work very closely with the U.S. on it, but we’re really confident about the progress of AUKUS and we’re confident about how it will proceed under the Trump administration.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
IN 2023, AUSTRALIA COMMITTED TO INVESTING AROUND $239 BILLION OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS FOR AUKUS, MARKING THE LARGEST DEFENSE PROJECT IN THE COUNTRY’S HISTORY, AIMED AT BUILDING NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINES.
IT’S THE END OF AN ERA. MARINE ATTACK SQUADRON V-M-A 231, KNOWN AS THE “ACE OF SPADES,” RECENTLY FLEW ITS LAST HARRIER FLIGHT AND WILL OFFICIALLY DEACTIVATE IN SEPTEMBER AT MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA.
THE MARINE CORPS AIMS TO HAVE A FULL FLEET OF FIFTH-GENERATION AIRCRAFT BY 2030. THE HARRIER WILL CONTINUE FLYING UNTIL 2027, AND THE F/A-18 HORNET WILL REMAIN OPERATIONAL UNTIL 2030.
IN 2022, THE CORPS SET A GOAL TO PROCURE 420 F-35 AIRCRAFT—353 F-35Bs AND 67 F-35CS—AT A RATE OF ABOUT 20 PER YEAR FOR 18 ACTIVE SQUADRONS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU HEAR THE NAME BERETTA? FOR ME, MY MIND INSTANTLY GOES TO MAX PAYNE DIVING THROUGH THE AIR, DODGING BULLETS AND DEALING HARSHLY WITH HIS CITY’S CRIMINAL UNDERGROUND.
MOST PEOPLE THOUGH, WHEN HEARING THE NAME BERETTA, PROBABLY THINK OF THE M-9 WHETHER THEY’RE A FIREARMS ENTHUSIAST OR NOT…
AND FOR GOOD REASON; IT WAS THE PRIMARY SIDEARM FOR THE U.S. MILITARY FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES.
WHILE THE M9 HAS SINCE BEEN REPLACED, BERETTA IS STILL VERY MUCH IN THE DEFENSE BUSINESS. THIS TIME WITH AN EYE ON THE UK, AND THAT’S WHY THEY ARE THE FOCUS OF OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK.
TO SAY IT WAS BIG NEWS WHEN THE U.S. ARMY DECIDED TO MOVE ON FROM THE M-4 TO THE SIG SAUER MADE M-7 FOR ITS CLOSE CONTACT TROOPS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. THE M-4 IS AN ICONIC PIECE OF AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY.
IT’S THE SAME POSITION THE BRITISH MILITARY NOW FINDS ITSELF WITH WANTING TO REPLACE THE L-8-5-A-3, MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE S-A-80. ENTER PROJECT GRAYBURN. THE BRITISH MINISTRY OF DEFENCE’S EFFORT TO FIND A REPLACEMENT BY 2030.
ONE OF THE COMPANIES IN THE RUNNING FOR THE JOB IS BERETTA DEFENCE TECHNOLOGIES, ALSO KNOWN AS B-D-T U-K.
[Jack Cadman, Military Channel Manager, BDT UK]
“We are the military and law enforcement arm of Beretta Holding Companies. So everything that applies to a tactical setting, whether that be law enforcement or military. BDT UK is representative of that in the United Kingdom, dealing with law enforcement agencies and UK Ministry of Defense”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
JACK CADMAN IS THE MILITARY CHANNEL MANAGER FOR B-D-T UK, AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE HELPING LEAD THE CHARGE TO MAKE B-D-T’s NEW ASSAULT RIFLE PROJECT, OR THE SAKO M-23, THE REPLACEMENT FOR THE S-A-80. TO DO THAT HE TELLS US B-D-T IS LEANING ON ITS HISTORY WITH THE U.S. MILITARY AND THE M-9.
Jack Cadman, Military Channel Manager, BDT UK]
“So everything that took place with the US military. So delivering that pistol from a localized production facility is something that we’re taking forward, adapting to the UK requirements, and making sure that we put that forward as part of our bid. ”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
BOILED DOWN, THAT MEANS PUTTING THE PRODUCTION OF BRITISH WEAPONRY INTO THE HANDS OF BRITISH WORKERS, JUST LIKE BERETTA DID YEARS AGO WITH THE M9 IN THE U.S..
[Jack Cadman, Military Channel Manager, BDT UK]
“ So we’re absolutely using all of the information and lessons learned from how to do that with the M9 contract and putting it into the UK. From that perspective, and we’ve worked with Beretta USA already looking at how we would implement it from day zero of being awarded the contract through to delivery and beyond the delivery of the weapon system.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
CADMAN, HIMSELF A BRITISH ARMY VETERAN, SAYS IT’S A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE EFFORT.
[Jack Cadman, Military Channel Manager, BDT UK]
“Because, you know, even though there’s been localized contracts in different platforms before, it’ll be the first time that the UK has an organic weapon of firearms production facility for a specific contract. There are, there are other gun manufacturers that have factories and production facilities in the UK, but in terms of doing it specifically for, you know, technological transfer and a long-term perspective, that’s what we’re trying to do.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
AS FOR THE NEW ASSAULT RIFLE PROJECT, CADMAN TELLS US THEY EXPECT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE RIFLE CHOSEN TO USE 5-5-6 CALIBER ROUNDS, BUT THERE ARE PLANS TO FUTURE-PROOF THE RIFLE SO IT CAN ACCOMMODATE 6.5 GRENDEL ROUNDS, SHOULD THE M-O-D DECIDE TO GO THAT WAY.
HE ALSO TELLS US B-D-T SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THE DURABILITY OF THE SYSTEM.
[Jack Cadman, Military Channel Manager, BDT UK]
“The scientists and engineers have worked relentlessly over in Italy to make sure that kind of this weapon system is exactly what it needs to be. From that perspective, at least, you can definitely deal with the UK weather system, weather systems that often come in place, and wherever the UK military might need to go, but that’s something that we’ve absolutely tried to do. So yeah, we’re confident in the durability and endurance of this weapon system.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
SO WHAT’S NEXT?
THOSE INVOLVED WITH PROJECT GRAYBURN EXPECT THE ASSESSMENT PHASE TO START SOMETIME NEXT YEAR, AND LIKELY GO TO CONTRACT IN LATE 2026, OR EARLY 2027, FOR APPROXIMATELY 150,000 WEAPONS.
TIME NOW FOR COMMS CHECK, AND WE DIDN’T HAVE TO DIG TOO FAR INTO THE WEAPONS AND WARFARE ARCHIVE FOR THIS ONE.
[UNKNOWN SPEAKER]
“My name is ET2 Mullins. I’m here at Baltops 2025 in Poland, where we are working with our partners and testing the capabilities of our platforms as well as software integration. GARC stands for Global autonomous recon craft. The Garc mission is to enable sailors to fill the mission from anywhere in the world. This gives us remote capabilities and allows us to keep our Sailors and Marines autumn harms way.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
THAT’S RIGHT, WE’VE GOT AN UPDATE, AND A HYPE VIDEO.
WE FIRST INTRODUCED VIEWERS TO THE GARC, BUILT BY BLACKSEA TECHNOLOGIES, AT SOF WEEK IN TAMPA. JUST A FEW WEEKS LATER AND IT’S OUT IN THE WILD BEING PUT THROUGH ITS PACES BY THE U.S. NAVY DURING A RECENT EXERCISE IN POLAND.
THE VIDEO SHOWS AMERICAN AND POLISH SERVICE MEMBERS OPERATING THE GARC FROM THE PORT OF USTKA IN NORTHWEST POLAND IN EARLY JUNE.
USED TO BOOST MARITIME SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONSE ABILITIES, THE GOAL OF THE TRAINING IS TO BUILD ON EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ALLIED FORCES TASKED WITH SAFEGUARDING FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION IN THE BALTIC SEA.
W&W Ep 75 Ryan’s Wrap
June 25, 2025
{RYAN ON CAM}
ALRIGHT, THAT’S GOING TO DO IT FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE OF WEAPONS AND WARFARE.
NOW IS THE PART OF THE SHOW WHERE I REMIND YOU ABOUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS AND HOW YOU SHOULD LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE TO THEM–AND I USUALLY FOLLOW THAT UP WITH A PLUG FOR THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.
FOR MY WRAP THIS WEEK –I’M FOCUSING ON THE U-S STRIKES ON IRAN’S NUCLEAR FACILITY. THIS IS ACTUALLY THE SECOND TIME I’M RECORDING THIS WRAP. WE DID ONE EARLIER WHERE I EXPLAINED WHY I THOUGHT THE U-S SHOULD STRIKE IRAN’S NUCLEAR FACILITIES–AND NOW, THAT’S HAPPENED.
I DON’T THINK THERE IS ANY QUESTION THIS COULD BE THE MOST MONUMENTAL FOREIGN POLICY DECISION PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL MAKE IN HIS TENURE–
AND IT COULD SET THE STAGE FOR A DRAMATIC SHIFT IN POWER –
WHICH IS WHY I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP MADE THE RIGHT CALL. I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED HE GET A GREEN LIGHT FROM CONGRESS, BUT GIVEN THE LATITUDE THE WAR POWERS ACT GIVES THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF, I THINK TRUMP WAS WELL WITHIN HIS LEGAL AUTHORITY.
SINCE 1979, THE IRANIAN REGIME HAS DONE MORE HARM TO WORLD PEACE AND KILLED MORE INNOCENT PEOPLE THAN JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT IN POWER TODAY. SO TO ME, ALL THE ARGUMENTS ABOUT HOW OR WHY WE GOT TO THIS POINT DON’T REALLY MATTER.
YES, THE PRESIDENT PULLED THE U-S OUT OF THE NUCLEAR DEAL IN 2018, AND YES IRAN THEN SPED UP URANIUM ENRICHMENT–
BUT THE NUCLEAR DEAL NEVER REALLY STOPPED IRAN FROM ENRICHING URANIUM, THE DEAL JUST SLOWED THE PROCESS DOWN. SO, EVENTUALLY, THE WORLD WAS LIKELY GOING TO FIND ITSELF IN A SIMILAR SITUATION TO THE ONE WE’RE IN NOW…
WHICH IS ONE WHERE THE ISRAELI AIR FORCE IS PWNING THE MULLAH REGIME AND ITS AIR DEFENSES TO THE POINT ISRAELI AND AMERICAN PILOTS CAN FLY AROUND OVER IRAN WITH IMPUNITY.
WILL THE REGIME RETALIATE? THEY’D CERTAINLY LIKE TO–BUT HOW MUCH DOES THAT REALLY MEAN ANYMORE? LIKE THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR SAID RECENTLY ISRAEL IS DOING THE DIRTY WORK FOR THE WORLD–
THE IDF DECIMATED HAMAS AND HEZBOLLAH…AND THE IRGC DOESN’T HAVE MANY SEASONED COMMANDERS ANYMORE.
SO, THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MAY BE CLOSED FOR A TIME, AND THERE MIGHT BE SMALL CLASHES OR ATTACKS –
BUT DEALING WITH THOSE THREATS ISN’T REALLY ALL THAT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE HAVE?
AND WE ARE ALL SAFER IF THE WORLD’S FOREMOST SPONSOR OF TERRORISM DOESN’T HAVE A MEANS TO MAKE NUCLEAR
SOME OF TRUMP’S MAGA BASE WAS AGAINST ATTACKING IRAN–SAYING IT BREAKS MORE CAMPAIGN PROMISES. THERE ARE THOSE ON THE LEFT WHO CALL ISRAEL AN APARTHEID STATE AND THE U-S SHOULDN’T LIFT A FINGER TO HELP THEM…AND THE FACT THOSE TWO SIDES AGREE ON SOMETHING MAY BE ONE OF THE MORE SHOCKING THINGS OUT OF ALL OF THIS–
BUT THE IRANIAN REGIME DOESN’T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THAT.
THEY WANT YOU TO DIE. IF YOU’RE WATCHING THIS VIDEO–THE MULLAH REGIME WANTS YOU TO DIE.
BECAUSE YOU ARE PART OF A SOCIETY THEY FIND ABHORRENT. SO, IF IRAN WAS AS CLOSE TO GETTING A NUCLEAR WEAPON AS THE EVIDENCE COMING OUT SO FAR SEEMS TO SHOW–THEN TAKING OUT IRAN’S NUCLEAR FACILITIES WAS THE RIGHT CALL TO MAKE. PERIOD. FULL STOP.
FOR SENIOR PRODUCER BRETT BAKER, VIDEO EDITOR BRIAN SPENCER, AND GRAPHICS ARTIST DAKOTA PITEO–I’M RYAN ROBERTSON WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS SIGNING OFF.